Internal-combustion engine



July 27, 1926.

F. R. PORTER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE I Filed March 13, 1924 I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS July 27 1926. 1,593,987

F.. R.. PORTER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 13, 1924 s Sheets-Sheet 2 ll H HH I HH ll mm mm INVENTOR July .27 1926. 1,593,987

F. R. PORTER INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed March 13. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 J6 INVENTOR I 1 ATTORNEYS Jaq ' tofore.

Patented July 27, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,593,987 PATENT- cFFic FINLEY B. PORTER, NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO PORTER ENGINE DEVELOP- KENT, INCL, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INTEBNAL-CONTBUSTIQN ENGINE.

Application filed March 13, 1924. Serial No. 699,080.

This invention consists in an internal combustion engine of the rotary valve type in which each cylinder has an axially arranged passage and port for the admissionof the motive fluid and escape of the combusted gases, each valve chest has se arate inlet and discharge ports and each, va ve has a single peripheral bridge port located in the same plane as the cylinder and valve chest ports.

This invention further consists in the provision of an oil impregnated self lubricating hard material as a sleeve bearing for the valve and also the provision ofa packing of oil impregnated self lubricating hard material engaging the side of the valve around the cylinder port.

This invention further consists in certain improvements in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts'of the engine as will be hereinafter fully pointed out and claimed.

Objects of this invention are :To ensure more perfect cooling and lubrication of the parts ;-more perfect combustion and economy in the use of the motive fluid than heretofore;greater accessibility of the parts reduced wear and less necessit for close fitting of the valve and its earing;less liability of leakage of the gases ;and less unbalanced pressure on the valve than here- A practical embodiment of this invention .is represented-in the accompanying drawin s, in which ig. 1 represents in vertical longitudinal section so much of an internal combustion engine of the rotary valve type as includes this invention.

Fi 2 represents a detail section taken in the'p ane of the line 11-11 of Fig. 1.

Flg. 3 represents a detail section taken in the same plane with the valve port in the position to open the cylinder port to the exhaust port.

Fig. 4 represents a similar section with the valve port in position to open the motive fluid inlet port to the cylinder ort.

The engine may be compose of as many cylinders as desired. One cylinder and its valve and adjacent parts will now be described. I

The cylinder is denoted by 1 and its'piston or combustion chamber by 2. The outer end of the cylinder 1 is provided with a reduced neck 3, forming an axially arranged of oil to lubricate it. A motive fluid inlet port 9 and a combusted gas exhaust port 0th lead through the walls of the valve chest 7 and self lubricating bearing sleeve 8 to the side of the rotary valve 5 in the same plane as the axially arranged cylinder port 4. v In the present arrangement, the inlet and exhaust ports 9 and 10 are shown as located diametrically opposite each other and the cylinder port 4 located half way be tween them. v

The rotary valve 5 has a peripheral bridge ort 11 located in the same plane as the inet, exhaust and cylinder ports, which valve port is of suflicient length to open communi cation between the inlet port 9 and the cylinder port 4 when the valve is in one position and to open communication between the cylinder port and the exhaust port 10 when the valve is in another position of its rotary movement,

At the outer end of the neck 3 of the cylinder I provide an annular packing chamber 12 opening to the side of the valve 5. Within this annular chamber '12 I locate a ring 13. which has a screw-threaded engagement 14 with the wall of the annular packing chamber 12. A packing is also located within the acking chamber 12, which packing is herein shown as comprising a shell 15 and are-"- movable insert element 16 composed of an oil impregnated self lubricating hard material, preferably metal. The outer end of this insert element 16 engages the wall of the, rotary valve 5 around the cylinder port 4. Resilient means are employed for holding the oil impregnated self lubricating element I 16 in engagement with the side of the valve, which means in. the present instance comprises a compound diaphragm located within the packing chamber 12. The ed e of the outer wall 17 of the compound dra ragm is engaged withthe back of the pee ng shell 16, said edge being preferably permanently 'oin'ed' to the packing shell as, for instance,

y welding. The inner wall 18 of the compound diaphragm has its edge clamped between the inner end of the ring 13 and the bottom of the annular chamber 12, a soft I inner end projects into the cylinder port 4.

The water jacket 21 for the cylinder and valve chest provides a considerable cooling space 22 around the cylinder port 4 where it is most needed.

In operation Presupposing the valve to be in the position of its rotary movement disclosed in Figs. 1 and 2, the further rotary movement of the valve to the position shown in Fig. 3 will bring the cylinder. port 4 into open communication with the exhaust port 10 to permit the discharge of the combusted gases from the cylinder chamber 2. The further rotary movement of the valve 5 to the position shown in Fig. 4: will bring the motive fluid inlet port 9 into open communication with the cylinder port 4:, the incoming charge of motive fluid driving the combusted gases which remained in the valve port 11 into the cylinder chamber.

It will be observed that the entire valve mechanism is made self lubricating by the provision of the valve bearing sleeve in the valve chest and by the provision of the packing element, both of oil impregnated self lubricating hard material, such as an oil absorbent metal. It will be noted that the bearing sleeve and the packing element may be removed at pleasure and replaced, or reimpregnated.

It will also be noted that a close fit is not I required between the rotary valveand its bearing sleeve as'the packing which sur rounds the cylinder port and engages the side of the valve serves to prevent leakage at this vital point. This feature allows the rotary valve to be so loosely fitted as to prevent all liability of the binding of the valve becauseof distortion, due to heator other factors. Also it will be noted that the pressure of the packing against the side of the valve serves to hold the valve against port, while the bearing surface for the valve available to resist this ressuxe is very ex tended, making the unlt pressure per inch very low.

It will also be noted that because of. the construction of the parts the incoming charge" of motive fluid materially helps to absorb the heat given oil by the heated ex haust gases.

One great advantage in the use of the single rotary valve is that it permits of a small tubular cylinder passa e which ensures great turbulence to t e incoming charge of motive fluid in the cylinder chamher, which turbulence roduces a very dry mixture and allows 01F much higher com pression being carried. p

A further aid to the resultant economy due to the high pressure is the single port in the rotary valve which, at the end of the exhaust stroke, remains full of the burnt gases which at the beginning of the induction stroke are swept into the cylinder chamber, thereby increasing by a considerable extent the burnt gases retained therein. It is obvious, however, that at the time of inlet closing the cylinder passage will be full of tive fluid contained in said cylinder passage must, of necessity, due to the shape of thispassage, expand the greater part of its volume inwardly intothe cylmcler chamber proper, thereby producing a very violent turbulence and causm a very complete burning of the motive uid charge in the cylinder chamber regardless of the proportion of air and fuel in the mixture, within very wide limits.

The greatest benefit from the excessive amount of burnt gases contained in the cylinder chamber is to be had under-throttle conditions, since the amount of burnt gases remaining in the cylinder is a constantfactor, and as the motive fluid charges vary with the throttle opening, the compression pressures would not vary in a constant ratio with the amount of motive fluid admitted. For instance assuming that the average internal combustion engine as applied to a road vehicle operates under a quarter throttle or less a greater portion of the time,

the economy to be realized would be con.-

' siderable.

Any suitable oil impregnated self lubrieating hard material may be used for the bearing sleeve 8 and the packing element 16,

such, for instance, as genalite made by the General Electric Company of Schenectady, New York, genalite being a molded porous material comprising synthetic bronze and graphite so combined that the material will absorb by capillary attraction from 2% to 3% by Wei ht of lubricating oil.

It is evi ent that various changes may be resorted to in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my vinvention; hence I do not wish to be limited to the particular embodiment herein shown and described, but

hat I claim is 1. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary valve, a packing therefor, and a compound diaphragm having substantially parallel walls, theunjoined edges of said walls having gas tight joints with the packing and cylinder respectively, said comound diaphragm acting as a resilient means or holding the packing in engagement with the valve.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder, a rotary valve, a packing therefor, and a compound diaphragm having outwardly extended substantia 1y parallel walls, the outer unjoined edges of said walls having gas tight joints with the packing and cylinder respectively, said compound diaphragm acting as a resilient means for holdm the packing in engagement with the va ve.

- substantially parallel walls, the edges of said walls having gas tight joints with the packing and cylinder respectively.

4. In an internal combustion engine, a cylinder having a port and a packing chamber surrounding said port, a rotary valve having a port,'a packing located in said chamber and surrounding said cylinder port,

and a compound diaphragm located in said packing chamber and acting as a'resilient means for holding the packing, in engagement with the valve, said compound diaphragm having outwardly extended substantially parallel walls, the outer edges of said walls having gas tight joints with the packing and cylinder respectively.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this fifth day of March, 1924. a

' FINLEY R. PORTER. 

